Corners of a Third Eye
by Hourai Rabbit
Summary: An origin story for the Komeiji sisters, Satori and Koishi, masters of the Palace of the Earth Spirits. Let your heart wander and see where its path takes you.
1. Chapter 1

The Corners of a Third Eye

"_You...will never tell this tale. You fear what others might say. Ultimately you only fear yourself."_

- Satori Komeiji

**Chapter One**

_The Ground Below_

_Many Years Ago_

"Run, sister! We have to move now!"

Satori Komeiji urged her sister onwards as a keening wail filled the air around them. Koishi did not understand what was going on but she obeyed without question, immediately rising to her feet and sprinting across the length of the cavern just as the sound coalesced into a solid form and struck the outcropping where they had been taking shelter. A resounding boom echoed with such force that the two satori sisters were thrown from their feet and pitched face first into the ground. Satori recovered first and grabbed her sister by the hand, hauling her up and running down one of the side caverns as the blind spirit sought its prey. They gasped for breath while simultaneously struggling to still their breathing as this particular spirit hunted by the sound of air as it went through living bodies.

The creature hissed, a sound more like forcing the air away from the space it occupied than an actual act of breathing. Slowly it too grew still and silent, waiting for the slightest mistake, that momentary lapse in concentration that would give its prey away. Somewhere in its bestial mind, the spirit knew that the prey was young and weak. They had eluded it this time but it was only a matter of time before it had them and when it did, it would latch on to them and drain first their breath and then their flesh for itself. Even such a basic creature could understand the pleasure of the hunt, and the kill.

The moments passed...one, two, three. The water dripping from a nearby stalactite was like the tolling of a bell to Satori as she watched the presence of the monster through her one good eye. The spirit's killing intent was directed straight at the two little youkai who had eluded its grasp, it was merely waiting for them to show themselves before the hunt ended. Then in an instant the intent vanished from its heart, redirected at another, more promising prey some distance down the northern tunnels. It was strong and the spirit greatly desired to feed on that strength, compared to the faint and flickering essence of two young satori. Surely enough, there was a rush of air as the invisible spirit turned and hurled itself in the direction of the new target. They were alone again.

Satori exhaled all at once, the third eye on her chest blinking once before returning to its usual steady stare...at nothing. Koishi looked up questioningly and the eye turned to her at once, allowing the two sisters to communicate in a way no others could. The honest truth, the deepest meaning of words, all could be understood by those with the power to read hearts and minds. As Satori read the truth of her sister's feelings she could feel the manifold emotions that infused the silent words. There was fear and apprehension certainly, but there was also concern for her older sister; even in the face of such a terrible crisis she would ask if her sister was alright.

In the darkness Satori smiled wanly, the experience of hiding their presence and using her third eye to watch the hunting spirit had taken their toll, and as Koishi read into her sister's heart, she saw both weariness and reassurance. The danger was over and Satori had run herself ragged but they would both live to see another day and in the end, that was the most important thing. Koishi smiled too, her face illuminated by the fires from Hell below the caverns as they reached up in brilliant reds and oranges. They were the only light in this dark and desolate world.

Satori nodded, "Come on, let's go home."

Through the darkness the two sisters walked in silence. This section of the underground was empty and uninhabited, save for the evil spirits that often came here to prey on anyone weak and unfortunate enough to get lost. Even Satori and Koishi had known the risks and were only skirting the edges on their way to a different part of the Ancient City. Together they formed a part of the unfortunate lower class of youkai who had not yet learned to fly on their own power and thus escape the predations of the earthbound spirits. Of course there were still those that could fly but anyone who had developed enough power to stay aloft was certainly capable of handling themselves.

"Tell me again, sister", Koishi broke through the silence, "tell me about the home we'll have someday."

Satori looked at her for a moment before replying. "Someday", she began, "we'll have a big and beautiful house with windows that catch the light from the hellfires and make all sorts of colours and shapes. We'll make the light dance and have friends who come to play with us every day. It will be so big you could fly for hours and not see all of it. No one will ever come in if we don't want them to..." her voice trailed off.

Both of them had closed their third eyes for this. Neither of them wanted to know, yet somehow they always knew in the back of their minds, that a dream like this could never be. Yet it was a game they loved to play and not a day went by when they didn't live out that dream, even for a moment.

"Can it be like the houses they have on the surface?" Koishi asked.

"I don't know what they look like", replied Satori with an amused smile, "I have never been there."

"The bridge princess told me! She hears lots of things from the surface."

"So she does, so she does..." Satori reflected. The youkai who guarded the one safe footpath from the Ancient City to the caverns closer to the world above, a bridge princess, was in an ideal place to hear all sorts of gossip. Satori had read her heart once and found a small crack in the otherwise kind youkai...she could see that the crack was widening day by day but wasn't able to find the source so she had put the problem out of her mind.

"Can we have a house like that?" Koishi asked, pointing at a vast and decrepit building in the distance. From their vantage point the two sisters could easily catch a glimpse of the Forsaken Palace, a ruin from a time even before this land became a territory of Hell. No one knew who had built it, only that it had always been there.

"Go back to sleep, sister. There's still some time until morning. Don't worry, we'll be safe here."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_The Ancient City_

_Many Years Ago_

Today was market day. Of course there was no true day or night in the ground below but the fires that rose up from that part of Hell that was once closest to the Ancient City would filter into numerous natural rock formations and give the impression of light. As a result the bazaar was filled with a gentle orange-yellow glow that was "enhanced" by the more creative youkai artisans with flecks of green, blue, purple and whatever other colours one could imagine. This "fairy fire", as some called it, was popular among the stalls selling more expensive goods and at the more raucous parties in the rare event that an oni did not show up (usually because they were at another party, not that this deterred certain individuals...).

Koishi loved to dance among the lights and Satori, though slightly more reserved in temper, would often join her. In this part of the market district many of the shopkeepers knew of the two youkai orphans and would often give them small errands to run to earn what food they could. There were as many evil-hearted youkai as good in the Ancient City and some would try to tempt them with more "lucrative" offers but these were always warded off by the cold stare of Satori's three pink eyes. As the two of them walked through the lively bustle of the market, a noticeable spring entered their step at the sight of so many vibrant hearts. The lives in the market were neither happy nor sad but these places were always buzzing with activity and it was here that the sisters felt most at home.

Satori skipped along while Koishi was practically leaping, flowing through the crowd of earthbound youkai before spinning in an impromptu pirouette. She threw her head back and looked up to the cavern's ceiling where other underground dwellers of all descriptions flew on errands for themselves or their masters. Somewhere off to the right, the footsteps and shouts of the crowds were interrupted by flapping wings as a flock of hell ravens took off, congregating around one of the brighter rock formations before disappearing into the blazing fires below.

"Hey! Be careful, don't leave me behind!" Satori laughed as she chased after her sister. Koishi was always good at hiding.

The two of them carved a path through the crowds like a fish through water, slowing down only when they neared the end of the marketplace. The gates that marked the end of the market district loomed before them, threatening to swallow all that passed beyond. Then an explosion tore through the ground near where they stood, hurling the two Komeijis off their feet once again. Although it caught them off guard, they were not sleeping as they were before and managed to hit the pavement rolling and get to their feet almost immediately.

"The spirit again?" Koishi asked.

"There's no way, they would never attack anything in the middle of the city!" Satori's eyes widened in fear.

The two satori scanned the cloud of dust that had been kicked up in the chaos. Instantly a small black silhouette appeared in the distance, growing larger at an alarming rate as it dashed straight down the obscured road. Slowly they could hear the sounds of curses and laughter growing, and the ground began to tremble under the weight of the footsteps. As they looked up, Satori and Koishi realised in unison that whatever it was, it was heading straight for them.

Instantly they hurled themselves to either side of the road, recovering their wits just in time to witness an orange and purple blur hurtling past them followed by a crowd of lesser youkai in hot pursuit.

"Stop, thief!" yelled a woman with another face on the back of her head.

"Come back here you damn oni!" demanded another with catlike features.

The only response they received was "nyahahahaha"

Before they realised what was happening, the sisters had leaped off their feet and were in pursuit, being jostled forward by the mob. Caught up in the chaos of the marketplace, they could do little but move along and hope that they would have an opportunity to get out of the crowd but the prospects were not looking good. In the middle of so many living beings even their third eyes would have trouble seeing anything. Amidst the deafening noise of the crowd the sisters were able to pick up a single voice shouting, the only thing coherent amidst the madness, and slowly made their way towards it. Finally as they neared the edge they could just about make out what the voice was saying.

"Hey! Hey! I'm up here! Catch me why dontcha?!"

But the crowd paid no heed. Lost in the confusion and anger of their goods being stolen they failed to see that the little oni had doubled back and was mocking them from the rooftops. Satori scrambled up the building followed by Koishi, the two sisters effortlessly communicating their thoughts, and spread out nimbly, creeping onto the rooftop behind the horned creature. Running forward they made a grab for her, only to find their hands passing through air as they overbalanced and fell from the rooftops into the now empty streets below...

"Nyahahaha don't do that, you'll hurt yourselves!" came a cheerful voice from behind them.

Satori felt a small hand gripping her arm with a strength she never thought possible, then a rush of air as she was hoisted up onto the rooftop once more. Slowly she turned around to look at their rescuer, a child who looked about their age with orange hair. The oni swayed about drunkenly, causing the chains manacled to her wrists and clothing to dance and tingle, almost like the joyful sound of bells on festival day.

"Heh...you could fall if you go around playing rough like thish", she continued, "still you found me! Not bad." Then she threw back her head and laughed, clearly enjoying the spectacle of the two bewildered satori staring at her...perhaps a bit too much.

"I like you, you're loads of fun. I know! Why dontcha come to the feast tonight? I heard there's one near the old palace grounds. Well, no one ever tells us oni but we know. We always know", she tapped her head with a finger as if to emphasise the point.

"Hey! There she is! Give back my apples you little thief!"

"What these?" the oni replied with a laugh as she produced two shiny apples, seemingly out of nowhere and tossed them to Satori and Koishi. They both gasped in unison – getting such goods from the surface was hard enough; many youkai in the underground hadn't seen an apple before! The oni grinned and waved to them as she turned back and leaped straight into the crowd of angry shopkeepers, fists flailing as she threw herself fully into the fight. The sisters realised their cue to leave and began to run, scrambling down the side of the building as fast as they had climbed it. As the sounds of the melee faded from hearing, still one sound remained.

"Nyahahaha"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The road was virtually empty and the fire from the Former Hell below was starting to die down, its wrath sated for the time being. Accordingly, the light in the caverns was starting to dim and all of the youkai in the Ancient City knew that market day was over. It was time to head back to their homes and start preparing food for themselves or otherwise get indoors. No one spoke of what would happen when the lights died completely, especially for those who were still outside and had no place to go. Yet, to Satori and Koishi, the old lady who pushed the cart around the marketplace at dusk held none of the fear that seized the hearts of the lesser youkai when they realised that their time outside was over. The night was the domain of the wicked and the strong.

The sisters watched as the old, rickety wheelbarrow made its way down the road searching for corpses that rarely materialised, if ever. The only casualties in the Ancient City during the daytime were the fairies, who foolishly believed that they could challenge the youkai for control of the land. Even the weakest of youkai was more than a match for a fairy, and every day there would be at least a few lying around to prove a point. Satori wondered at the futility of this daily routine. Every day without fail, for as long as she had been alive, the corpse carrier had come to take the bodies away, and always that faithful cat accompanied her. It walked a respectful distance away, its matte black fur catching and absorbing the fading light. Two tails swished back and forth as it watched her go about her endless task. There was anxiety in its stare.

"You shouldn't be out here this late in the day. It will get dark soon and the evil spirits will come", Satori noted.

The old woman looked up from her wheelbarrow and saw the two sisters, one with pink hair and the other with gray. She did not know what manner of youkai these were, but it was clear that each one spoke for the other.

She managed a slight smile, "Nobody wants to be out after dark."

"Even you?" asked the other one, with the gray hair.

"Even me. But there is something I have to do before I go home. Every day I come here to carry the corpses away. The spirits search far and wide for flesh they can take for themselves, and nothing deserves to be desecrated in that way."

"Desecra...ted?" Koishi's face scrunched up as she wrapped her mind around the word, poking it experimentally like a unfamilliar food.

"She means that they spoil the bodies", offered Satori.

The corpse carrier simply nodded, "A burden that I bear. I do not know why I was given this job, and I do not know where it will lead me, but it has to be done. That is all."

The once lively market was still. The three remaining youkai (and one cat) regarded each other in silence.

"I see that you too carry a heavy burden", she said finally.

"That...that's not it at all", Satori replied.

The old woman smiled, "I do not need to know a person's heart to know that they lead a difficult life."

"How did you-?"

"You just told me", the corpse carrier's voice was thick with amusement, "I have no powers in that way but I like to think that I've lived long enough. After awhile you start to pick up a few things", she turned to look at the cat, "but there is one thing I have never known. Humans, youkai, I can understand them all but never animals. I have always wondered what this child thinks, when it looks at me. Why it continues to follow me in this endless task of mine."

Satori nodded, turning her third eye to regard the cat. It was a kasha by the looks of it, with a sharp face and bright red eyes. It was not uncommon for them to be attracted to people who walked with death. Then, in a rush, its heart opened to her and the images began. Animals did not talk in the same way that creatures like humans or youkai did. They did not have a language so their hearts contained flashes of their life. Like a dream the scenes passed by. The dusty floor of the shopping district on market day with the life and hope of the people living in these violent times. The nobles' quarter where the high-ranking and powerful youkai lived. The bright lights of the feasts as the oni drank and danced around the fire. In all the scenes there was one common element, an old woman who pushed around a wheelbarrow and carried away corpses, dutifully preserving the bodies that would have been stolen by evil spirits and used to terrorise the Ancient City's inhabitants. It was all clear to Satori in that one instant, and then the images were gone.

"Because your task is endless", she said quietly.

The old woman looked at her questioningly.

"You go around the city taking corpses in your wheelbarrow, day after day without stopping, without tiring, without asking for a reward. This cat follows you because you have never once stopped your duty, even when you don't know when it began or when it will end. That loyalty is a kind of strength and it respects you for it."

The cat, for its part, had gone back to licking its fur clean. It seemed satisfied that its purpose had been accomplished. The corpse carrier nodded slowly, taking in the information slowly.

"I see. Thank you for your help. I think I understand it a little better now", said the old woman as she turned back to her wheelbarrow, "now I think you had best get going before it gets dark."

Without another word, she began pushing the fairy corpses down the dusty road once again.

"Wait!" called Satori suddenly, "do you think we will ever see you again?"

"No."

Then she vanished into a deeper darkness, within the gloom that was settling over the marketplace, and the cat followed. Once again, the two sisters were completely alone. Satori turned to face Koishi and grinned.

"So, would you like to go to the feast?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Even as the Ancient City was covered in an inky blackness the caverns did not become totally dark. There were some places that were constantly lit by the gentle glow of magic and these were places that no spirits dared to go, they represented bastions of sanity where people did not have to hide and were blissfully unaware of the dangers that beset the lesser youkai who were left outside. This place did not seem as crowded as the market was during the day but with every passing second more and more youkai were pouring into this place. All throughout this fairy-lit district the festival would take place.

The sound of flutes carved from animal bones and those made from dried reeds drifted lazily down the pavement into the side streets, where Koishi wandered, gazing up at the windows of the houses. This district had more life than most places in the Ancient City and its inhabitants had somehow managed to acquire glass windows and colour them through some strange art. In the soft glow of fairy fire, she could make out brilliant reds mixing with oranges and yellows, standing in strange contrast to the greens and blues that were inserted into the middle of the collage. It reminded her of a magical duel she had seen between two youkai in the air. They had flown around at top speed, hurling a storm of bullets at each other in an attempt to force their opponent to concede. Koishi had marveled at the strength and beauty of their barrages and wondered if someday she could do something like that. It would be fun to play with Satori if they could create their own beautiful _danmaku_, she decided.

"Aha...so this was where you were", a kind voice drifted into her thoughts. Her older sister walked into view, smiling in that sad way.

Satori moved to stand next to her sister for a moment and looked in the same direction. As soon as she saw the stained glass windows she understood, this was a very pretty place. It reminded both of them of the dream that they indulged in night after night, and yet here they were standing right in the middle of it...but at the same time it was a fake. This wasn't their home. It was someone else's and they were just staring through the window from the outside. Then it was Satori who smiled.

"Why do you look so sad? There's a festival going on and then there will be a feast. We should go and see what is going on at least, since the oni invited us right?" she extended a hand to Koishi. Her smile was all the more radiant as she took the offer and the two sisters rejoined the crowds making their way down the main street.

The music got more lively as they advanced further and the sound of drums could slowly be heard over the talking and laughing. Eventually the path widened until a large open square was visible, lined with tables and well-stocked with food and drink. There were all sorts of strange fruits from the farthest reaches of the underground and the meat of animals that lived in the caves not too far from the Ancient City. Satori was sure she saw a hell raven among the delicacies, but before she could get a closer look it was gone, consumed by a group of very, very hungry youkai. A number of dance circles with musicians had formed and in these places the sake began to flow like water, while the dancers performed a strange impromptu routine that involved standing on one leg and clapping their hands above their head. Some of the dancers, evidently in a different stage of the dance than others, were sprawled on the ground and moving their arms forwards and backwards, though Satori had no idea what the significance of these moves was.

Nonetheless the atmosphere here was very lively. Being close to people, being surrounded by companions even if they didn't know her or even realise that they were helping her out. Simply being around so many open hearts made Satori and Koishi happy.

"Ooooh! It's you two!" the small oni from before grinned at them from the middle of one of the dance circles. With a powerful leap she somersaulted over the dancers and landed right in front of them, swaying slightly as she looked them over, "I'm sho glad you deshided to show up! C'mon, drink some sake and have fun!" she pulled out a small purple gourd and raised it to the sisters, before drinking deeply.

"Eh?" another strong voice came from the right, "so, you're the ones that Suika was talking about earlier. Not bad! No one can catch Suika when she really sets her mind to it. Well...no one except for me", the stranger grinned. The single horn on her forehead caught the light and drew the attention of more than a few onlookers.

"He~ey, no fair Yuugi", Suika protested, "that was a fluke. My horns got caught in the doorway."

"Ahahahaha!" the oni called Yuugi let out a loud and raucous laugh, "even if you had a century's head start you would never be able to outrun Yuugi the Strong!"

"Ohoooo...that sounds like fighting talk!" suddenly, a grin split Suika's face from ear to ear.

"Hey now..." Satori began but a small hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back from the fight. She turned to see Koishi standing behind her, "sis...if you stand too close you'll be killed. That's common sense right?"

But before anything serious could begin, a collective gasp fell over the crowd and even the oni paused in their dispute. Looking up, everyone could see another light descending from above, a pure white that was even brighter than the fairy fire used in the festival. But it was different somehow, where normal light is used to accentuate the mood this new light obliterated everything around it, and replaced it with a white fire. Or so it seemed. Lesser youkai were forced to turn away at the sight of it, for fear of being blinded, but others continued to look on in wonder. Satori could feel a palpable sense of tranquility washing over the guests, quelling the chaos of the festival.

"Now then, why are you fighting each other?" the light asked gently, "that won't do at all."

[Author's Note: My apologies for being so incredibly late with this chapter. For awhile I was at a loss for how to continue but I've got it all sorted out now. Please look forward to the next one.)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Satori looked from side to side, trying to make heads or tails of the situation that was currently unfolding around her. A light descended quite literally from the roof of the cave and the whole festival was suddenly going quiet. She looked to her sister, opening her third eye and saw nothing but fear – the very same fear that she was feeling at the sight of whoever it was. Her two normal eyes lifted to the ceiling and pain shot through them, forcing her to avert her gaze, her hands clutching in agony. But she still had one eye open and it was forced to see, to look straight at the whiteness. Satori's expression changed to confusion, because there was no pain when she looked into the heart of the strange light. Instead there were a mixture of emotions. Calm and tranquility flowed from whatever, or whoever, was the source but the tranquility was emptiness and the calm was control, a dominance imposed by a higher will. Layered in between these emotions Satori could sense a harsh and forceful heart, twisting and moulding everyone before it into one image.

"Why do you fight amongst yourselves like this?" it asked, "it saddens me to find you children of the former hell engaging in such foolishness. Why do you do this when every day you suffer at the hands of the evil spirits that live in this underground? Don't we have enough problems from the outside to be tearing ourselves apart from within?"

Satori frowned. This woman had a lot of nerve to tell a gathering of such powerful youkai not to settle their own disputes or have fun, and yet she seemed to be doing just that. What was she doing? Why were they not taking issue with her words? Koishi's thoughts told her that she was thinking the same thing.

"This cannot continue", the woman in the light was saying, "I can end this foolish conflict between youkai and spirits. I can make us the true masters of this new home. We can truly forget the surface and have a destiny that we can call our very own! All I ask is that you bow before me."

The two sisters remained silent but they agreed on one thing – it was silly to ask such strong people to bow no matter who she was. Shock and disbelief ran through them when they found that they were wrong and most of the youkai gathered at the feast had fallen to their knees in front of the slowly-descending light. Some stared, their faces frozen into blank masks. Unable to restrain her bewilderment Satori rose to her feet and began waving her hands in front of their faces, trying to slap them to their senses. The entire situation was completely wrong. No one in the world should have this kind of power.

"I see one of us has not yet understood all the good my offer can do. She moves amongst and strikes at you. Amethyst child, will you not reconsider?"

The light dimmed. The sisters looked up and saw a woman with white hair and blue eyes looking down at them. She wore a simple blue dress and two white wings sprouted from her back, outstretched to slow her descent. Immediately the two felt the emotions that had come from the light intensify and focus directly on them. The emptiness magnified until it became a void that consumed everything in its path. Koishi dropped to the ground, clutching her third eye and forehead and twitching madly.

"Stop this!" Satori yelled, "you're killing her!"

"I ask you once more, amethyst child. Will you not reconsider my offer?"

"Ri-ridiculous. You haven't given us anything. You've only taken from these people. They were strong before, they didn't need to serve you to protect themselves. Look at them!" she gestured towards the kneeling youkai with their vacant expressions, "yes our life was hard before. Yes we had to face danger, but at least we could be happy. We had fear but we also had hope!"

"I did not take away anything that was important to them", replied the angelic woman, "I set them on the path to a brighter future. A clean, forever shining world."

"Shouldn't people be able to choose whether they want that world or not? If it's so good then why did you have to dominate their hearts to convince them?!"

The angelic woman recoiled. From her expression Satori felt as if she had struck her. The chill that had filled the cavern before abated and Koishi began to pick herself up, staring at her with undisguised horror. Satori felt it too, an iron spike being withdrawn from her mind as the angelic woman's composure broke.

"You..." she began. Her face hardened, "you are a satori. One who can read hearts. No wonder you saw the truth about my powers...and you were able to resist them. You're stronger than I thought."

Her wings beat hard, propelling her above the gathering once again. Satori and Koishi felt a prickling sensation on the back of their necks as gathered magical power rushed past them. The light was beginning to gather again, this time around the angelic woman's hands. Thin traces of light appeared around her wrists, forming into some kind of pattern. The air rushed about her, whistling in their ears.

"No, sis! Run!" yelled Koishi and she tugged at her sister's arm. Even a child could see that this situation was incredibly dangerous.

Satori looked at her, confused, but only for a moment. The two of them hurtled towards the houses and their tight alleyways, disappearing into the night as the magical blast exploded behind them. A large cloud of dust choked the air. The enthralled youkai stayed where they were, unmoved by the sudden explosion that had just hit the entrance to the festival grounds. The angelic woman surveyed the scene with a satisfied look on her face. Even if they survived they were alone, without aid, and would not have the chance to develop their powers enough to seriously challenge her.

Because she was going to kill them first.

"My first command to my loyal and faithful allies. Find them! I don't care about bringing them back alive, kill them if you find them!"

The bound youkai rose. There was an instant of silence where her words hung in the air, and then each one rushed to do her bidding. So what if that satori knew of her powers? The hearts of these wretches were now hers to command and she would turn this former hell into a place of light and beauty befitting heaven itself. These would be the first of many faithful and she would need strong and dependable vassals to lead them.

The angelic woman looked around, remembering that there had been two oni amongst the revelers. She had heard stories of their kind and knew that they would be powerful allies. However when she finally remembered where they had been standing there was nothing there. Nothing but ash and smoke.


End file.
